2000
#5,633
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,651
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.09
Rare Last name
Crone
An English surname derived from the Old Norse byname "Kráni," meaning "crane" (the bird) or "thin and tall person."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,898 Americans carry the last name Crone. That puts it at #6,360 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,114 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Crone surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Crone with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.9K
1 in 58,114
Census rank
#6,360
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,143 bearers of the surname Crone in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6360th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Crone, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Crone
The surname Crone is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "crāne" and "cran," meaning "crane" (the bird). It is believed to have emerged as an occupational name for those who worked with or lived near cranes, perhaps as a keeper of these birds or as someone residing in an area populated by cranes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Crone surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Crane." This historical record suggests that the name was already in use during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Crone was often spelled in various ways, including Craan, Craane, and Crayn. These variations reflect the regional dialects and local pronunciations of the time.
In the 13th century, a prominent figure named John Crone was mentioned in the records of the Exchequer Rolls of Yorkshire, England. This reference provides evidence of the surname's presence in the northern counties of England during that period.
The Crone family was well-established in the county of Suffolk, England, where they held lands and residences. One notable member was William Crone, born in 1542, who served as a member of Parliament for Aldeburgh, Suffolk, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In Scotland, the surname Crone can be traced back to the 16th century, with records showing a John Crone who lived in Ayrshire in the year 1563. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of the British Isles by that time.
Another notable individual was Sir Michael Crone, born in 1625 in London, England. He was a successful merchant and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1685, during the reign of King James II.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, several Crone families settled in the American colonies, contributing to the spread of the surname across the Atlantic. One such individual was Samuel Crone, born in 1702 in Virginia, who became a prominent landowner and plantation owner in the colony.
As the centuries passed, the Crone surname continued to be associated with various professions and occupations, including clergy, military personnel, and businesspeople. Some notable figures include William Crone (1693-1772), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the 18th century, and Robert Crone (1861-1945), an Australian politician and member of the Parliament of Western Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Crone
Among Census respondents with the surname Crone, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Crone bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Crone surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 4,621
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 196
- Two or more races3.2% · 163
- Black or African American1.6% · 81
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Crone
Crone appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,162
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,555
-96 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 1.88
Rank movement Down 529 places
2020
#6,360
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,143
-412 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 1.72
Rank movement Down 198 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,633 | 5,651 | 2.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,162 | 5,555 | 1.88 | -96 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 529 places |
| 2020 | #6,360 | 5,143 | 1.72 | -412 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 198 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Crone surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,162 | #6,360 | -3.2% |
| Count | 5,555 | 5,143 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.88 | 1.72 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Crone bearers went from 5,555 to 5,143 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 198 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,162 to #6,360.
FAQ
Crone surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Crone?
Name Census estimates that about 5,898 living Americans carry the surname Crone. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,114 residents.
How common is Crone?
Crone ranks #6,360 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,143 people with the surname Crone. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,898), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Crone.
Has Crone become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Crone went from 5,555 recorded bearers to 5,143. That is a decrease of 412 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,162 to #6,360.
What does the Census say about the background of Crone?
Among Census respondents with the surname Crone, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Crone in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (4,621 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Crone appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Crone (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Crone mean?
An English surname derived from the Old Norse byname "Kráni," meaning "crane" (the bird) or "thin and tall person." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Crone (1.72 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Crone?
Want to know how many people have the last name Crone? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.